Josh In Japan?

Sorry...

2012-01-22T17:22:00.000+09:00

I am sorry, I haven't posted in forever. Been really busy and a bit lazy concerning my blog.

But I wanted to share a few things real quick...

First I am going to start teaching a class here in Okinawa most likely... I will probably be teaching Apologetics.

Also, I haven't had a job for a while, but it has allowed me to much better prepare for my class.

I just wanted to share something too...

Am I a barren temple
Left for newer ways
Of speaking mysteries my veils cannot contain
Should I prepare
To winter spend again
Of silent centuries' speech for only certain men

What if I wait to find You've gone
What if Your presence was withdrawn
And I was mistaken all alone
To think I could become Your home
It'd be no surprise to finally know

I am truly alone
Come then but likely sooner I'll be alone

You moved your temple
Inside our bones and limbs
So hard to trust that You won't move again
For all eternity
You stould with Your Father in perfect unity
And when You walked the earth
You only went where He led
You only spoke what He said
So for everything You left
And all of the glory You forfeit
No matter how low You were sent
You still couldn't know what it's like to be alone

Disgraced but you were never alone
Betrayed but you were never alone
Tortured but still never alone
And nothing is worse than being alone

I have been thinking hard about us trading place
Maybe I can wear Your beauty if You put on my shame
Jesus I've been trying so hard to look like You
That I almost missed the worst of what I put You through
You didn't die for sins
You died covered in them
A prideful lying thief gasping out my final breath

For that one moment
You looked just like me
Your Father left you
And You died completely alone.

For me You were alone
You couldn't marry so He left You all alone
No better promise than sympathy
(You conquered death all alone)
Cause You know the deepest of all my needs
Never again, never alone

This song is by a band called My Epic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsO1MNmNcVc&feature=fvsr

But like this song really spoke to me. As a lot of times we feel that we are alone.

And like we look at our lives and we think how can God be with me, everything is going wrong.

And then we are so often to imitate Christ, but like all through Christ's life we see that He was always following the Father, and He was never alone.

Yeah we know in Hebrews it tells us that He has gone through all temptations and all trials, but we see in His life He always had the Father. And like He was never alone through it all as the Father was always with Him.

So many times we feel that we are just not worthy to have God come to us. We are not worthy to have the Father inside of us.

But then like when we look at what Christ did on the cross...

We so often think of Jesus dying for sins, but I love that line... You didn't die for sins, You died covered in them...

And like that is so true... When Christ was on the cross He died covered in our sin... He didn't die pure... He died the worst sinner... He was covered in our sin at that moment... And like God forsook Him.

Christ took all our sin upon Himself, and became sin and took the penalty... He died alone, forsaken by the Father.

He died with no one that was able to be with Him... He was alone even forsaken by the Father.... He took on death all alone.

Because really our deepest need is to not be alone, but to have a relationship with the Father. And He died alone so we wouldn't have to.

Then I also wanted to share this song by the same band... Its called Lazarus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1DC2zuU9qk

I can't sing that song the same way anymore
Cause I start laughing at the parts where I could only weep before
And it sounds sweeter now because the notes can't ring
until they echo through each wasted year that You restored to me

I've been thinking of how You wept for Lazarus
Tears on Your cheeks, resurrection on Your lips
Sometimes mercy can feel like abandonment
But You know all about it

I used to this I had to write these songs just so
For heavens sake and for my own I put myself through hell
But I quit striving for perfection surrendered up to it instead
And now the songs keep pouring out and I cannot contain myself

I've been thinking of how You wept for Lazarus.
Tears on Your cheeks, resurrection on Your lips
(Broken will)
Sometimes mercy feels just like abandonment
(Find your rest / Broken voice)
You let my heart die, but left Yours beating in my chest
(You sing best)

At 30,000 feet above, the earth was small enough to think of everyone I love
And then imagine them a thousand mirrors all reflect it back at once
and any light would multiply and then remind me
that Your love is more than the sum

This song can go along with the other one.

This verse is pretty awesome... Like so many times we look back and like... In times that were hard we look at them and we see how God's hand was on it... And like... We so may times look at those things that used to trouble us so much and we can only laugh in joy because like how God took care of it... And its awesome because like... We can see how God just used those times that we wasted.

I've been thinking of how You wept for Lazarus
Tears on Your cheeks, resurrection on Your lips
Sometimes mercy can feel like abandonment
But You know all about it

Then like its so cool... We like can look at like Lazarus.... And I mean Jesus wept... Lazarus died... I mean Jesus could have been there and saved Lazarus... But Jesus gave Lazarus mercy... I mean Lazarus did not deserve this miracle of being raised from the dead... But it was mercy when Jesus let him die... And like in our lives... Sometimes God shows us mercy by letting us come to the point of just dying to something... I know at times in my life... I just needed to be brought to the point of where I needed to die... I was still trying to live in areas of my life where I just needed to let them go into the arms of God... But I kept getting in the way... So God allowed me to just die... To go through hardships until I just died in His arms and surrendered. But like... It hurts God to see us suffer, like Jesus wept at the suffering of everyone at Lazarus' death... But there was resurrection on His lips. I mean sometimes God lets us die to these things, but He brings us back to life and we can just see in those times how He is taking care of each and every thing.

I used to this I had to write these songs just so
For heavens sake and for my own I put myself through hell
But I quit striving for perfection surrendered up to it instead
And now the songs keep pouring out and I cannot contain myself

And like... So many times we think that we do all these good things and work for Heaven's sake... But for our own sake we put ourselves through so much trouble... We try to be better. We try to be good, and we hurt ourselves so much because we want to be better for what God has for us.

But we need to quit striving to be perfect and we need to surrender to our perfect God, and then all these good things will just pour out of us... We will not be able to contain them.

I've been thinking of how You wept for Lazarus.
Tears on Your cheeks, resurrection on Your lips
(Broken will)
Sometimes mercy feels just like abandonment
(Find your rest / Broken voice)
You let my heart die, but left Yours beating in my chest
(You sing best)

And I mean again we can think of how sometimes God lets us die so we can see... We cannot be perfect on our own... And then He will bring us back to life... He lets this heart die so that He can put His there. When our will is broken we can find His rest... When our voice cries out to Him in brokenness, we can sing the best songs to God.

At 30,000 feet above, the earth was small enough to think of everyone I love
And then imagine them a thousand mirrors all reflect it back at once
and any light would multiply and then remind me
that Your love is more than the sum

And then this... This is such a beautiful picture...

If we were taken above the earth to see the whole world... And everyone who ever loved us were to hold a mirror towards us... All the light it reflect could be multiplied and whatever but like... God's love is more than the sum... He is going to help us. He is good...

Then like the last song I wanna share called Author.

I have nothing new to say. The world is so terribly big, it keeps spinning and shaking loose all my constants and making me see that the sun has been burning too long to have not shed its light in every direction.

All I know is that beautiful in me is You... beautiful in me is You.
(All... I... know...) Every good thing, every true thing, beautiful in me is You, beautiful in me is You.
(All... I... know...) Every good thing, every true thing, beautiful in me is You, beautiful in me is You.
(All... I... know...) Every good thing, every true thing, beautiful in me is You, beautiful in me is You.

I see a thousand young men, they're all marching in time with the war on their doorsteps and their lovers behind them, and all of their glory flows back to their master, but they care not for honor, for they wear His robes.

I'm tired of striving to be, who You already say that I am. I am Yours...

Take what You need to take, say what You need to say to make me who I am meant to be, You can have it all. Take what You need to take, say what You need to say to make me who I am meant to be, You can have it all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoW9-j85sjU

Graduation

2011-12-07T23:47:00.001+09:00

The Fall Semester Graduation.

This semester we had 3 Japanese graduates.

Yoshua Higa

Taliya Hokumori

And

Natsuki Smith.

It's a huge blessing to see these three take another step of faith in the Lord.

Please pray for them as they continue in ministry.

2011-11-12T12:14:00.001+09:00

Cho-Ichiro and Mami are getting married. They are two people at the Church and we have all been waiting for this day lol

(sorry no recent posts. Been busy and well I am lacking in posting material.)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A little update.

2011-10-25T20:26:00.001+09:00

Long time since I have updated.

So a good friend of mine, Jon Piper, left island to go serve in Iwakuni. So we went to yakiniku.

The first portion of meat we got.

Yummy.

Please pray for him as he takes off. I need to find his blog.

Other than that news is the same lol.

Cool Cloud

2011-10-11T16:43:00.001+09:00

Just wanted to share this lol.

Heigh Ho Its off to Work We Go

2011-10-10T18:10:00.001+09:00

Dig dig dig.

Work is something we all have to do. We work for food, fun, family, and living expenses. We work out of necessity in almost every part of life.

But there are areas that we don't have to work in. We shouldn't have to work for love out of necessity, because then it becomes a service and not a gift.

We shouldn't have to work for free out of necessity but should be paid for our work.

But another area we shouldn't work in out of necessity is our spiritual walks.

As Christians we shouldn't have to work for our salvations first of all.

When we try to work for our salvation it is the same as trying to pay someone back for the gift they gave you.

Example - You buy me an 150$ watch for my birthday. I then thank you for it and then proceed
to work and I earn the 150$ and pay you back for the watch. I mean if I were you I would think, "No that watch was a gift you don't need to pay me back for it". It could almost be insulting as I would be saying I will not accept a free gift from you.

But so often we have the audacity to think that we can pay God back for eternal life. I mean a priceless gift cannot be payed for. God gave us salvation we cannot pay Him back with our works. They just do not have the same value.

In Japanese (I think), English, Hebrew, and Greek the word work can mean, labor, an occupation, or business. Don't try to do business with God you have no work that He will accept as a payment.

So that brings me to my second point. We work too hard in an effort to please God and others.

We often in an attempt to live right lives and to do things right make our works priority.

For example we know God wants us to be holy, so we go and we try to do everything we can to make ourselves holier. We try to love our brethren more, we try to do what those above us tell us, and all these things.

But didn't God say that He started that work in you? (Phillipians 1:6) He is also going to finish that work. Why are you trying to finish that work for Him?

Don't try to take God's job of making you holier. God has a design and a mold for you. You are to be a lump of clay in a potters hands. He is going to shape you. If you take your own works and try to shape yourself you will not become that image of Christ.

Let God do works through you. Don't try working yourself. Ask God to use you and follow God. He will then make these changes in you. You don't need to work for these things yourself.

We all need to take a Sabbath from works. I am not suggesting now that we do no works for God. I want to challenge everyone with this. God is our rest He is our Sabbath. I want to challenge you to rest your works on Him. I am challenging you to follow Him into the works He leads you to. Don't strive to make your own works, but let God do a work through you instead.

Walking in the rain.

2011-10-08T16:42:00.001+09:00

I am now walking in the rain. Got my raincoat which I really like haha.

Normally I don't wear the hood and all but it had cinematic effect :P

10 Chocolates

2011-09-26T21:02:00.001+09:00

Curious to why I have ten chocolates in a bag?

The world may never know...

Location:２丁目,Urasoe,Japan

IDP (A Short Post)

2011-09-26T20:59:00.001+09:00

So I am gonna apply for my International Drivers License.

Thank you for reading blog.

Location:２丁目,Urasoe,Japan

Wandering

2011-09-24T18:04:00.001+09:00

So I was wandering a lot of today.

I went and looked at apartments.

While doing that I found this

Edited versions.

Now I am at the cafe maybe about to take a nap. Really tired from all the walking.

Thank you to those who kept me company during the walk. It was very much appreciated ;)

My Day 2Day

2011-09-13T19:05:00.001+09:00

So I was walking home and it started pouring so I am waiting for it to stop haha.

今雨宿り

家に帰ました大雨始まっただから、blogアップデイトします

My bento had a smile.
（；゜０゜）(^o^)

弁当が笑顔ありました

So at work my coworker fell asleep on a pile of trash.

今日、仕事で同僚を眠りにゴミ堆積です

I went to Kane Hide and bought a lot of soda.

かねひでに行きましたこれを買いました沢山ソダ

誰でも日本語を正す下さい

ありがとうございます

Location:Urasoe,Japan

Black Jesus

2011-09-11T18:27:00.001+09:00

Michal pointed out that there is a black person that looks like Jesus on the kids ministry sign.

Location:１丁目,Ginowan,Japan

From the Top of a Box

2011-09-06T15:01:00.001+09:00

I am on my break. And this is what I see.

Too lazy to take a better pic :P

Yes I count these.

Too Busy

2011-08-23T17:57:00.001+09:00

I have been too busy lately o give a good update.

Work is hard right now and my brain is fried as I am doing everything in Japanese.

I trained our two new workers but they only speak Japanese. This does not mean I speak Japanese but I am able to get a point across haha. Still learning. Haha

Streamed

2011-08-21T08:15:00.001+09:00

www.ustream.tv/channel/calvary-chapel-ginowan-sunday-morning-evening-services

Hey every one the Church service is live streamed. Feel free to join us.

Location:Ginowan,Japan

My Vimeo Pt 2

2011-08-05T16:10:00.001+09:00

www.vimeo.com/user7881739/videos

I added two videos from Eder and Amanda's wedding reception and reached my limit for a week haha. So later I will post more.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Capo?

2011-08-05T16:09:00.001+09:00

No not really. Makeshift capo Tommy showed me how to make. Who knew I would use it haha.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:２丁目,Urasoe,Japan

Super Typhoon スーパー台風

2011-07-31T11:10:00.001+09:00

So this Thursday (木曜日が) we have a huge typhoon coming (大きい台風を沖縄に来る)

It is a category 5 right now (今台風がカテゴリー5). When it reaches Okinawa it is expected to be the same. (沖縄に至る同じカテゴリー)

I am attempting to translate my own short posts. It's probably no good but I will do my best haha.

自分のチャレンジして。私のポストが自分の訳する試す。

It will help me learn new words.

日本語勉強ましょ

Location:Ginowan,Japan

Poetry

2011-07-28T21:47:00.001+09:00

Spur of the moment writing.

------------------

Woe is me, for I am undone.
I grabbed my bags and started to run.
To places I thought I could run and hide.
But all those things left me empty and dry.

Woe is me for I am a mess.
Lord stop me now I need to confess.
I've littered Your name with filth of words.
And I've left my heart on another's street curb.

Forgive me Lord I have to repent.
Every last ounce of my soul has been spent.
On the cares of this world and material things.
And You've been replaced by all of my bling.

Cleanse me Lord for I cannot see.
How You can see a new creation in me.
Make me new for now I know.
There's nothing inside me to regrow.

Change me Lord to be like You.
As being myself will just not do.
By my power I will be devoured.
By sin and my own infection.
By Your strength I will rise.
And in Your name is my might.

My Vimeo

2011-07-26T04:02:00.001+09:00

So I needed some way to post the videos on my phone somewhere online. But I couldn't do it with anything but this site. So feel free to watch these. I am planning on doing more individual blog posts on these explaining them a bit better. But this can be a sneak peek.

www.vimeo.com/user7881739/videos

This is Not a Banana

2011-07-18T18:21:00.001+09:00

This is not a banana. But it is something I am eating...

So I cannot for the life of me figure out how to post those videos but I am working on it.

Location:２丁目,Urasoe,Japan

Attempts and Failures

2011-07-18T10:04:00.001+09:00

So I have been trying to post a video of the Hakugaijin concert we went to but no luck. I will figure this out though haha.

Location:１丁目,Urasoe,Japan

Nakijin Youth Retreat

2011-07-17T11:21:00.001+09:00

So I said I would write a post on this. Well I am finally getting around to it.

So the trip was awesome and was a huge blessing. I didn't get that many pictures though because I am not used to having a camera lol.

So to start off what was the whole trip?

This was a youth event organized by a group called JacobsGen with MTTM or Ministry To The Military. If I remember correctly this is a ministry that works with the youth on military bases or just kids of military. But I could be wrong.

They were led though to do one of these camps on Okinawa and it was a huge blessing.

So what did we do?

Jenny sharing the Word.

Nathan and the double rainbow
Keagen leading worship.

Romeo, Debbie, and Bryan performing a skit.

This was a seemingly pretty normal camp. We had teachings, worship, and some fun things. So why was this camp so different? I think the people made a difference. The group that came were such a blessing as their desire was to serve the Lord. They soaked things in prayer and were a blessing to serve alongside. It was refreshing to serve with a group who's passion was to bless the Lord.

I could share so much on what went on but I don't have the time to write it all down. But really it was a normal camp but I believe what made this different was the servants of the Lord who were there.

Thanks guys and I hope to see you next year.

Mihama Panorama

2011-07-16T21:09:00.001+09:00

Check out a panorama of Mihama while we were out witnessing.

http://pnr.ma/echKLf

Tatsuhiko was sharing his testimony in Japanese.

Location:２丁目,Chatan,Japan

Okinawa Sunset

2011-07-14T19:19:00.001+09:00

Hmm dunno how to turn it around. But here is a picture of the sunset here. So nice haha

I am going to be making a post about my recent camping trip / youth retreat. But I need time haha so more to come.

Location:３丁目,Ginowan,Japan